COOLING DOWN
Meanwhile, people are finding unorthodox ways to chill out during the dog days of summer.
In Dujiangyan City in southwest China's Sichuan Province, about 10,000 tourists headed to a national reserve over the weekend to play mahjong on the water, according to Shanghai Dragon TV.
Next to a river at the Hongkou tourist site, countless colorful beach umbrellas stood in shallow water. Visitors sat on chairs with their feet in the cool flowing water.
"The water is cool, and the flowing currents make my feet feel very good," said a visitor who was playing mahjong.
For residents in central China's Henan Province, one place is particularly good for seeking shelter from the sun: air-defense tunnels.
The provincial government has opened 153 air-defense tunnels to the public for free, providing desks, chairs, water, tea, newspapers, medicine and even Wi-Fi access. The tunnels are mostly located near big shopping malls or heavily trafficked subway stations.
Air-defense tunnels were built to shelter people, store materials and treat patients in the event of war. The Henan government has been opening the tunnels to the public since 2010. This year, the government pumped in 1.9 million yuan (280,900 U.S. dollars) to support safety checks, facility upgrades and decoration of the tunnels.
In the provincial capital of Zhengzhou, 21 such tunnels have been opened to the public.
"I think it's good," said a resident surnamed Fan, who was teaching his child how to play chess. "It's safe and clean here."
Temperatures in Zhengzhou are forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius this week.
Fan said he brought his child to the tunnel because there were many other children taking advantage of the cooler temperatures.
"We don't want to go outside," Fan said. "It's way too hot!"
